Hidden Child
by myLink'sLady
Summary: Inuyasha spies on Sesshoumaru's camp.
1. Chapter 1

Hidden Child

PART ONE...The Youkai.

The fact that Inuyasha was going to be alone for over a week had nothing to do with the Youkai's decision to stay in the area. It was not his concern if the hanyou's pathetic choice had been to stay and guard the old Miko and the village of useless beings, instead of keeping more securely amongst his slightly less than useless friends. The idiotic creature had made sure that the Kit had gone with the monk and slayer on the firecat, when they went to visit her old village and his old master; while the strange Little Miko went home for studies and tests for about ten days. As the Youkai understood things, Inuyasha could have gone with her; but he was being noble apparently, as the village was vulnerable.

The Youkai prepared to camp in a place he knew was defensible and was close enough for Rin to obtain food from the nearby village fields; plus had the benefit of huntable wildlife and running water. Telling himself that it because Naraku had gone to ground and until there was a good enough clue to his whereabouts, he would not give the vile hanyou the satisfaction of watching him walk around in ever decreasing circles searching for him.

The decision had nothing to do with his own hanyou relative who after a few days on his own, would start to shed his gruff exterior and become more insecure; as the pup he really was emerged, when no one was around. It was nothing to do with the Youkai if the fool's imagination made him start to feel abandoned and lost, when his friends departed for any length of time. If Sesshoumaru had noticed in the past that Inuyasha would keep a look out for him when he was lonely, for the small cold comfort it gave the pup to know that his strong sibling was around; it had no bearing whatsoever on the need of Rin to have a rest from the long wanderings.

Inuyasha and his pitiful well being was of no consequence to This Sesshoumaru; he certainly felt no regrets over his harsh treatment of his brother in the past, or at least that is what he told himself. He had already searched the clearing and found the place that Inuyasha would most likely use to spy on him and if the clearing was on the edge of the meadow where the well that the Miko used was to be found, then so be it. The Youkai was not going to move for her sake, so if the foolhardy hanyou had to stay in the general area to keep an eye on both himself and the well, that was his own lookout; he could always go into the village and further away if he so wished.

It was also obvious that with their limited human brain capacity, his brother's companions had forgotten that the new moon would be in a few days and Inuyasha would therefore face his night of mortality; once again, unprotected in their absence. But no matter; Sesshoumaru would not lower himself to attack the whelp when he was not at full strength and as no one else was allowed to dispose of the younger except the elder, he would be safe enough under the youkai's observation for that particular night. But that was just a matter of personal honour; it was not a sign that he cared at all for the irritant, thorn in his flesh.

Having secured the perimeter of his camp and alerting his brother to his presence by reaching out to Inuyasha with his aura; Sesshoumaru made sure that his ward and retainers were settled before he went off to hunt. Once that was done and he was replete, the youkai went to search for his brother; the whelp had not yet acknowledged his lordly sibling or shown his obeisance as was appropriate. Whether or not the pup knew it, seeking his brother out to find out what was happening was one of the ways that this was shown; as he then proved he recognised his older brother's rank.

At the moment Inuyasha was remiss and it was now Sesshoumaru's duty (and pleasure), to make sure that the errant pup remembered his place. He found his little brother without any difficulty and was ready to berate the boy for his tardiness and presumption, that Sesshoumaru no longer meant him harm. But the whelp had fallen asleep, his head resting on his arm; which was laying along the top edge of the well, while his ears were moving to catch any sound to alert Inuyasha to awaken. In repose, Inuyasha's face lost it's hard edges and Sesshoumaru was brought up sharply at how young his brother was.

The pup's face was soft and round with puphood still clinging to him; which was further emphasized by the huge golden eyes hidden at the moment, the sleep on Goshinboku had only suspended his ageing. In mild shock the Daiyoukai realised that actually in comparative terms, given the disparity of time in the development of human and youkai, Inuyasha was only figuratively about twice the age of Rin; even if the life he had lived placed him far beyond her in experience. It was even obvious that Inuyasha was not yet fully physically grown; still having to fill out from an adolescent boy's shape, to that of a full adult male, maybe he would even add a few more inches to his height.

It was neither guilt nor a twinge of sympathy for the sleeping boy that made Sesshoumaru leave him alone instead of rudely awakening him with a vicious slap of his whip, certainly not; the youkai would never indulge in such useless emotions, rather he didn't want his camp being disturbed by the noisy ramifications of such an action. Then he made sure that the perimeter around the well was also secure before beginning his patrols around the greater area of the village; purely for something to do and the fact that it would not do to encourage predators by thinking they could come and cause havoc anywhere near his protection zone.

For the following two days, the brothers cautiously ignored one another; Inuyasha amusing Sesshoumaru although he would never admit to the distraction, by jumping like a skittish colt if he turned to find the older brother silently behind him. Not that the youkai was giving into a form of 'play' with his younger brother, that would be a ridiculous notion; he was just showing his natural superiority and deadly potential over the hanyou. By the third day however just as Sesshoumaru predicted, Inuyasha started to get more jumpy and obviously quieter as he found himself alone.

The villagers although not wishing him harm were more concerned and uneasy when he was not with the others who they thought controlled him and they were more circumspect in his presence. Inuyasha pretended not to notice or mind the fear and lack of trust, but it was difficult and all in all he found that he would gravitate towards his brother's aura as he understood it would never take much for the crowd to become a mob; but there was no way they would attempt to go near or tackle Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha never knew that Sesshoumaru understood all of this or even that the Daiyoukai knew him better than he did himself; so much so, that he had always been able to use his knowledge to undermine the hanyou at any time he wished.

That night as Sesshoumaru spotted his hanyou sibling hiding in the tree that he'd already picked out, he smirked; knowing that Inuyasha didn't really believe that his brother would save him from frightened villagers even if he was trying to hide in his aura. He also noticed smugly that the whelp was insecure, he was such a failure as a youkai; his human blood debasing his truer youkai inheritance, then he smiled again as he looked more closely at his brother's face intrigued by what he saw.

The boy was almost impossible to see, not that anyone was looking for him. Nobody would know to search for him even if they were aware of his existence and the only person who could recognise the child easily and immediately; couldn't care less about his hiding place, let alone him. The child though it was obvious, didn't realise he was hiding; nor that he was clearly to be seen by one who'd known him since he was born. In fact Sesshoumaru thought Inuyasha hardly looked any different to the six year old ragged urchin that he had rescued from being chained up like a dog; with just a bowl of rank water and scraps, outside the village where his mother had just died.

The memory angered him as he surreptitiously watched the hanyou from beneath his heavy eyelashes; yes the huge round eyes in that baby face which at the moment had no trace of the normal gruff mask he usually wore around everybody, was the same face, only the body had grown. But back then, the pup's claws were still too soft to free himself; his fangs only small points and his eyes bewildered at what was happening to him, a weak pathetic half youkai pup. Sesshoumaru's family honour however being at stake, required retribution and the village found out just what he thought of his half brother's treatment.

He found that the feeling of distaste he now had as he remembered how he had translated the anger towards the villagers into anger against the tiny pup, was most unpleasant; he would never treat the girl child that way. But it was definitely not guilt; he might own to a slight _regret_ that he had not been more understanding of the boy when he had taken charge of him, but he had been younger and was not experienced in the ways of half youkai, half human creatures. Yes, acknowledging regret, was acceptable and soothed his slight disturbance and suited his measure of culpability.

He managed a slight chuckle when he thought back to his inexperience; he had not even realised how easily the hanyou pup bruised, until the marks of his hands were still visible days after the child had been punished for something or the other. Not that it had ever stopped him from repeating himself whenever he felt it was needed; although he forbid himself from dwelling on that for his own peace of mind, the image of Rin being so battered did not sit well with him, especially as he was seeing the golden eyed pup in her place for some strange reason. The sudden knowledge that neither would his august father have been happy with the cavalier and often brutal way that his eldest child had debased the younger.

A movement in the tree effectively put a stop to his dismal musings and he noticed Inuyasha settle down supposedly for the night. The Youkai knew that Inuyasha was puzzled by the girl that he had aquired; the boy had only seen her a couple of times, as normally the child was left in Jaken's charge whenever the Lord encountered his brother. Now all his charges were settled down, the Daiyoukai took the time that he enjoyed on his patrols; silent and contemplative he valued the time he had to himself without distraction and he was not worried that Inuyasha would harm the child while he was not around.

TBC


	2. PART TWOThe Boy

PART TWO...The Boy

The boy stared in amazement at the little girl; he seemed to remember seeing her before but was puzzled that she was still around and in his brother's pack, he had thought that she would have been left in some human village by now. He settled down on his branch waiting for sleep and saw when his brother left silently, not that Sesshoumaru's comings and goings were any of his concern. However when the girl started to toss and turn fitfully and to cry out in her sleep, the boy could no longer stay in his tree without trying to help.

She was obviously held tightly in the grip of some nightmare and he had some time before Sesshoumaru came back in anger; so he gently shook her shoulder, begging her to wake before Jaken came out of his sleep.

"Girl, girl, wake up; watcha crying for anyway?"

"Oh, sorry, it was a bad memory; who are you?"

"It don't matter who I am, you O.K. now?"

"Thank you, sometimes Rin has bad dreams."

"Yeah? Me too, but Sesshoumaru don't like you to cry; he'll make Jaken beat you and give you somethin' to make the wailing about."

"No he won't. How dare you say that about My Lord, what do you know? Go away."

"Look, I'm...I'm sorry. Go back to sleep." Stupid girl! She obviously didn't yet know what Sesshoumaru was capable of. The boy on the other hand knew only too well of what he spoke, but he too had worshipped the Youkai when he'd rescued him from being tied up; always trying his hardest to please the tall white 'angel' who had taken him away from his misery, only to plunge him into more. He waited in the tree and noticed the girl start to shiver and knowing that his brother wouldn't care for her human comfort, he took a blanket from Ah-Un's saddle and covered the child; then he pulled the dragon over to her and asked him to provide warmth by sheltering her with his body, as he remembered the beast had sometimes done for him.

When the girl disturbed again later, Sesshoumaru had returned and allowed her to crawl over to his side and snuggle down into his tail for warmth and comfort; he had overheard the conversation between his brother and Rin, but had not interferred.

"That boy lied about you Lord Sesshoumaru, he made Rin angry with his words."

"Pay no heed to the hanyou brother of This Sesshoumaru; he will not harm you."

"That was Lord Inuyasha?"

"It is of no consequence; sleep Rin." Sesshoumaru regarded the child as she fell asleep and he pondered over the events of the evening, well aware of his little brother's misgivings and the valid reasons behind them. He could also sense the puzzled thoughts of the boy and see his huge luminous eyes as they observed the girl curled in the Youkai's luxurious pelt. That was a treat that had always been denied the little brother, on pain of serious punishment by blows and cruel words; if he'd so much as touched it with his filthy disgusting paws. The boy himself remembered sadly, _longing_ for some show of affection and being coddled in the soft fur; but his memories were of the harsh cold and biting winds at night, unless the dragon took pity on him and let him shelter behind his great body.

The next evening too was full of surprises for the hanyou boy; it was his human night and he had not gone far from his brother's camp as the villagers were still wary of him and Kaede was busy. As each day passed without the return of his companions, Inuyasha felt more like the lonely child he truly was; but at least his brother's strong presence kept his growing fear of everything else at bay. He had caught and eaten his supper of fried fish and was taking a couple of extras over to where the girl was once again waiting for her Lord to return; creeping up but not intending to startle her, he left the fish and told her to eat before hiding in his tree.

The girl was puzzled at why Inuyasha would think she needed the fish; she was still thinking and ignoring Jaken's bluster when Sesshoumaru returned, a small boar ready dressed for cooking in his claws. Jaken had already made the fire bigger and hotter using his staff of two heads, when the Daiyoukai noticed the fish;

"Inuyasha brought these for you?"

"That no good, dirty blooded, filth came while you..." Jaken was silenced by a rock to the head.

"My Lord, why did he bring Rin fish; did he think Rin was hungry?"

"Perhaps Rin, he is used to providing for his pack. You may eat the fish while you wait for the boar to roast."

"Does he think you would let Rin starve My Lord?" There was no answer to that from either Sesshoumaru or surprisingly Jaken; who rarely let any slight, however vague against his Lord, pass without indignant comment. Both of them remembered Inuyasha's early attempts at trying to provide enough for himself to eat; as neither of the youkai helped him, unless he was really on starvation point. He had only been big enough to catch birds, mice or rats and never in sufficient quantity to keep his hunger at bay. Certainly he rarely had a fire with which to cook his food, there had been no concessions to his humanity at all; as the despised second son of a great Lord, Inuyasha had endured a meagre existence.

Rin tucked into her fish unaware of her guardian's thoughts; as she did so, Sesshoumaru noticed that there was not much meat on the small bony fish and realised that the fact that Inuyasha was human that night, was probably limiting his skills and the boy too was bound to be hungry. Well, that was one of the reasons he had provided a boar and not rabbit after all; the human creatures could do with some extra nourishment every now and then. Once again, the small body of a hungry hanyou pup superimposed itself over the human girl and Sesshoumaru felt guilt; which as normal morphed into anger at the pup.

When the boar was ready and smelled delicious to the boy who was hiding in the bushes, staring in bemused wonder at the sight of his brother providing such a feast for a human girl; Sesshoumaru who was still feeling uncomfortable with his memories, tore off a whole haunch and tossed it behind him into the bush he knew that Inuyasha was hiding in. He was surprised and annoyed when it came flying back, then he turned quickly to Rin who had her hand over her mouth laughing; her innocent question gave Sesshoumaru the answer as to why, Inuyasha had shied the meat back at him.

"Did Lord Sesshoumaru think that Lord Inuyasha was a stray dog when he threw the bone over his shoulder?"

"Rin, eat your meat; This Sesshoumaru needs to attend to some business."

"Yes Lord Sesshoumaru, why don't you invite Lord Inuyasha to come and eat with us?" She received no reply as Sesshoumaru had already left. He found the boy had gone back to the old Miko's hut and by listening in from the top of the hut roof, he could hear her soothing the boy's ruffled feathers. His heart clenched in unusual remorse, as he heard the despair of the boy who yet again found he was being thought of as no more than an animal; he had been chained like a dog by the villagers, collared by a human miko who caused him to 'sit' if he was not obedient and now he was being thrown scraps from his brother's meal. The boy was tired and fed up with everyone and was thinking of leaving for good.

The Youkai had not intended to treat his brother so; he had been genuinely angry at the villagers of long ago, but as usual he had not considered how his foolish brother would view his flippant attitude or indeed how much the boy's past still haunted him. The Miko was kindly reminding the young human that he was feeling more vulnerable at the moment because of his being human and that his Lord Brother had probably not meant to insult him this time. Sesshoumaru was back at camp when the boy returned to his tree; Inuyasha found that the meat had been cut up and placed neatly on a large leaf platter for him, with a small flower on the side in token apology.

Over the next few days the boy kept out of the way as usual except that he was almost always watching out for Rin. He had a sort of morbid fascination watching the interaction of the girl and her two caretakers and although it caused him great anguish when he saw the difference between her care and his neglect; the boy was drawn like a moth to a flame to the innocent warming sight. The boy however was still worried for the girl, that she would soon have her safety ripped painfully away when his brother tired of her and so he kept a fairweather eye on her comings and goings.

He went to watch her as she found a flower field and played the long day away; as all children who had not a care, she was happy and made herself a flower crown and also one for her precious Lord Sesshoumaru. However before she could take it back to him, the boy stopped her and with care tried to take out the twigs and leaves from her tangled hair; that had knotted from when she rolled in the grass. He was still busy when Jaken called her to come now, as Sesshoumaru wanted her settled in the camp for the evening.

She impatiently smiled at him and ran off leaving him feeling sad for her, she would learn the hard way; but she was only a little girl, perhaps Sesshoumaru would let him help her brush out the tangles. He too hurried to the clearing but was pulled up sharply; Rin was kneeling calmly in front of Sesshoumaru and he was untangling and combing through her hair with his claws, he had not shredded the flower crown which lay next to him and he had not melted off her hair with his poison claws. The Youkai looked up and frowned as he saw the expression on his brother's face.

The pup was blatently staring in disbelief, he had had his silver hair cut off in clumps when it got knotted, making him look grotesque and laughable; Sesshoumaru had _never_ taken the time to groom him or notice the gifts that the boy had spent hours in making before bringing to his brother. The most he had done for the pup was in ordering Jaken to keep his hair respectable in future; which he had done begrudgingly, raking through it with his spiteful fingers and with many a cuff to the boy's head or a twist to the ear for his trouble.

The pup turned away from the sight, unable to watch anymore as his brother cared for the child; he knew that Sesshoumaru knew he was there, was this just more proof of how worthless he felt Inuyasha was still? Whatever, he couldn't take it and went to sit in Goshinboku; his thoughts were dark and gloomy and he wiped his sleeve across his eyes many times, but was unable to stop the salty tears from falling. Did he really deserve no kindness and consideration ever, what was going on? His questioning aloud to himself was heard by Sesshoumaru; who too was beginning to wish things were different, but didn't know how to make them so.

TBC


	3. PART THREEThe Youkai and The Boy

PART THREE...The Youkai and The Boy

Sesshoumaru was getting tired and frustrated with the boy who just watched from the trees with those huge bewildered eyes at the pretty little scenes of concern for an orphaned child. The boy said nothing but he didn't need to, his facial expressions were enough to condemn the older sibling; for Sesshoumaru too remembered. The eyes of his brother had always been able to speak volumes; but never had they been so vocal as they'd been that week, as they watched the little girl get all the care and attention that he had never received from the person who should have shown him some regard.

She was told bedtime stories by Jaken that did not frighten her, whereas the boy had listened to tales of hanyou eating youkai and humans that murdered and tortured things that were different to themselves. If she wanted to bathe and the water was too cold, Jaken would raise the temperature of a small pool for her with the staff of two heads; she even had an oily soap from the Western Palace. The boy had just been tossed naked into the nearest body of water; where Jaken had scrubbed his skin with sand, almost until he was raw to get him clean. She could sing and dance because she was happy, he had to be silent; she could question and talk, he had been cuffed or beaten if he spoke out of turn.

She would remember her family with smiles and tears, chattering easily about her Mama, Papa and big brother; healing from the sharp pain of their deaths and subsequent ill treatment, by the concerns of Lord Sesshoumaru. But if the boy had so much as shed a private tear for his mother, he would risk Jaken berating her memory and slurring her character; while _his_ big brother imperiously walked on or flicked at him with his whip. Now the pup had given up trying to make things easier for the girl, he had seen for himself that there was no need to protect her from his brother's neglect; because there was none. The girl though was bemused by the boy's prior antics and he picked up on her pity for his inexplicable behaviour, which made him surly.

The Youkai now found that he was very aware of the boy's moods, he had always been able to 'read' him since Inuyasha was a pup; but this was different and he didn't like the experience. It was as if he understood the hanyou's feelings and that indicated that it was guilt that was eating into him. Guilt as he remembered clearly when the pup followed him, when he shivered in the cold or went hungry for days at a time; when he kept his grief to himself for fear of cruel reprisals. Guilt when the Youkai realised that he would kill anything that made Rin suffer in the way his own brother had suffered at his hands.

He had even found amusement now in the boy, as he watched over the camp; knowing of the secret fears the boy harboured and yet doing nothing to ease them. He was still letting his brother down, would it have done any harm to at least offer him the companionship of his little group and the comfort of his campfire? Sometimes now the Youkai found he didn't like the person he had become; the boy hated to be alone and Sesshoumaru knew this and although he had not done harm to him he had not helped him either; rather he had left him sitting in the tree like an unwelcome stranger.

Unwelcome was not how the Youkai Lord now viewed the younger sibling, even if he didn't yet wish to embrace him with open arms; but surely the time had passed for such open hostility. Not that Inuyasha would see that, he was hell bent on killing Naraku and anything else that got in his way. Perhaps after the evil creature was passed, there would be time to mend bridges and heal wounds; a time when with his acute hearing he would not have to listen to his brother crying quietly to himself at night as he tried to sleep in a tree whose branches had no softness to them, unlike the Youkai tail which was wrapped round the girl giving her a gentle bed.

However something had changed in the boy's aura and it was disturbing the brother, the pup was subdued but in a deeper and more permanent way. Sesshoumaru was far too intelligent not to understand the hidden pain and questions that Inuyasha had left unanswered and he knew his brother far too well to not notice when his presence had left the tree for longer than usual. Leaving the girl in the care of Jaken, he took off after the boy and found him standing beneath a waterfall of spring melted ice; his whole body going blue with cold. But it was his face that showed his agony; the icy knives of the freezing water bearable on his naked flesh, only because it drowned out his mental pain.

After watching him for a few minutes and waiting for the little fool to remove himself from beneath the pounding water, Sesshoumaru realised that the boy was not going to come out anytime soon and even a full youkai couldn't stay in that temperature with impunity. His decision made, he whipped his tail around the pale torso of his brother and yanked him from under the cascade; only to find that he received a sharp clawing, making him release the boy in surprise. The boy had turned on him regardless of the consequences from his assault; but this time, Sesshoumaru found he couldn't punish him.

He was a just a child; but with such pain in his eyes that the Youkai found it difficult to breathe. There was no way Sesshoumaru could pretend that he didn't know what had hurt his brother; the taking in of the total stranger and treating her as if she were his own after only a few months, while he'd considered and abused his own blood brother as less than the dirt beneath his feet. Obviously it still mattered to the boy; it was not really that long ago and the pup's memories were still fresh, having had little good to replace them. Then the boy had tried to help another child, only to find that she already had all she could ever need and now he was clearly jealous of the girl; not that Sesshoumaru could blame him, jealousy was one thing he understood.

While he mulled over these things, the boy had rushed away to the high overhang at the top of the waterfall and with his arms outstretched was leaning into the cold wind which was strong enough to hold him up; but Sesshoumaru could tell that he was deathly cold, the wind taking away even more of his core heat as it dried out his hair. If the wind dropped, not even Inuyasha would survive the fall and with a feeling of dread in his heart, Sesshoumaru knew that the boy was taking a huge gamble and perhaps didn't care anymore if the wind did let him go.

It was enough to motivate him to take charge, this ridiculous behaviour must cease and Sesshoumaru floated up and grabbed his brother once again; by wrapping his tail around the too pale body. He could feel the cold from the boy seeping through his tail and his reflex tightened as he coiled it around, infusing his own heat; trying to bring pink back into the blue. The boy had no fight left in him; indeed he had lost consciousness and with a sickening realisation which surprised the Youkai, he knew that this was how Inuyasha would look if he were dead. With his face relaxed and his eyes closed, his lips blue; this is how he would appear if Sesshoumaru finally succeeded in killing his sibling and unless the boy warmed up soon it was still a very real possibility.

Sesshoumaru had to now admit that it was not the outcome he wanted and never had, whatever he had said or done; Inuyasha was his brother, regardless of the circumstances of his birth and at the moment he was nowhere near warm enough. Shrugging out of his own haori, he dressed Inuyasha in the silk that was warm from his own body heat; before wrapping him again in his tail. The boy started to awaken and his colour slowly returned;

"You young idiot, you nearly killed yourself." There was however no rancour in the tone of the words, in fact he sounded relieved.

"It's so soft...your tail...so warm." The rejoinder was gentle and subdued. "I didn't really get to feel it in Father's tomb. Finally, you feel I'm clean enough to touch it." The voice was that of the child, although he was still shivering and his teeth chattering; his ears plastered down on his head. Then his voice strengthened, "Let me go Sesshoumaru, I do not want to pollute you any longer."

"Ridiculous boy, you are not recovered from your stupid escapade; your temperature is still far too low for safety." He looked at the boy's face and watched silent tears race over the round cheeks.

"My condition has never bothered you before Sesshoumaru; let me up and go to my own clothes." The boy pushed away and stripped off the borrowed haori to put on his own garments. Sesshoumaru noticed that his skin was still very pale, the eyes still overly large and the expression lost and sad. He tried to make some amends.

"Will you not come back to warm up in my tail, you always wished for that as a child; you are welcome." His answer was a harsh ironic laugh.

"So many years ago, such a long time alone; all the hate and pain. What is she, that I was not? What does she have that I did not?" The boy looked at his brother forlornly, making Sesshoumaru want to comfort him as he would Rin; but Inuyasha backed away and as he did so, the youkai noticed that the pup's eyes changed. The tears dried and the eyes grew cold like ice; narrowing in realisation and even changing the shape of his face with their bleak expression.

"She has your love doesn't she; that is what she has, that I never did? What a fool I was for all those tortuous years, trying to please you, always in vain; loving you despite all and never fully understanding why I was so hated. Why? I was just like her, I adored you as she does; I'd have done anything for a kind look, or a gentle touch, but you despise me where you love her, yet she is a stranger and I am your kin. You offer me comfort _far_ too late brother...far too late." The words were bitter but not angry, but it made them more profound somehow; as did the new tears that glimmered in his eyes but didn't fall, albeit balancing on his eyelashes.

"Never say that Inuyasha...never." Sesshoumaru grabbed his brother's face gently, but he _was_ too late and he watched in sorrow unable to stop the harder set to Inuyasha's countenance. The hanyou's eyes lost the open innocent and often loving look, becoming glazed and for the first time, unreadable to his brother; the boy was gone, to Sesshoumaru's regret.

He'd killed him and Sesshoumaru saw the hidden child die.

THE END ?


	4. PART FOUR

PART FOUR

Author's note to be completed in The sequel. The Youkai and The Hanyou.


End file.
